On This Page
Overview
Two Types of Communities
Choose the structure that fits how your group relates to the broader Lutheran Network.
Dedicated Community
An invite-only space for established Lutheran congregations, schools, and ministry organizations. Secure, private, and designed for trusted community members.
- Access requires an invite code from the community owner
- Optionally restrict to previous members of your organization
- Private channel — not listed in the public directory
- Full control over membership and content
- Community owner receives unique invite code to share
Open Community
A publicly listed, directory-featured space open to any member of the Lutheran Network. Ideal for broader organizations, districts, and synod-wide initiatives.
- Listed in the network directory for anyone to discover
- Any Lutheran Network member can join
- Members also receive a shareable invite URL
- Highlighted on directory and map
- Requires Directory-Listed Group Seat in your subscription
Use Cases
Who Should Consider a Community?
Communities are flexible enough to serve many kinds of Lutheran organizations:
For Members
Joining a Community
Two ways to join — with an invite code, or by browsing open communities in the directory.
Navigate to Communities
From the left sidebar on lutheran.network, click Communities to see communities you belong to and the option to join new ones.
Click Join Group
Click the Join Group button. You'll have the option to enter a private invite code or browse the list of open communities.
Enter Code or Select Community
For a dedicated community, enter the invite code provided by the community owner. For open communities, browse the directory and click to join.
Configure Notifications
Visit your Notification Settings to customize how you're notified about new discussions, meetings, and activity in your communities.
For Owners
Creating a Community
Navigate to the communities page and click Create Community to begin. Configure each element of your subscription.
Community Name
Choose a name for your community — visible to all members of the network.
Community Groups
Decide how many group channels you need within your community. Each group can have its own focus, members, and permissions. $1–$0.40/group/month — price scales down with group count.
Member Limit
Set the maximum number of members in your community. Pricing scales favorably with size: $0.20/member/month for small communities, down to $0.025/member/month at larger scales.
Video, Recording & Transcription Minutes
Purchase the minutes your community needs each month. Video: ½¢/min. Recording: 2¢/min. Transcription: 1¢/min. All are optional. Transcription is required for AI-generated session summaries (free).
Directory-Listed Group Seats
If you want any of your groups to be publicly listed and open to all network members: $25/seat/month.
Renewal Term
Choose monthly or annual billing. Annual subscriptions receive a 17% discount.
Subscription
Community Pricing
Pay only for what your community needs. Every component is priced individually so small groups and large congregations alike can find a fit.
Scales down with group count
Scales down with community size
Meetings & presentations
Open community directory listing
Optional video recording
Optional text transcription
| Component | Unit | Monthly Price | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Community Group Channel | Per group | $1.00 → $0.40 | Price per group scales down with group count |
| Member Limit | Per member slot | $0.20 → $0.025 | Price per slot decreases with larger limits |
| Video Minutes | Per minute | $0.005 | Meetings (200 participants) & presentations (600 viewers) |
| Directory-Listed Group Seat | Per open group | $25.00 | Required for groups visible in public directory |
| Recording Minutes | Per minute | $0.02 | Record and embed video of sessions |
| Transcription Minutes | Per minute | $0.01 | Generate text transcriptions of sessions; required for AI session summaries |
| AI Session Summary | Per session | Free | AI-generated summary from recorded transcript — requires transcription |
Administration
Managing Your Community
Owners have full control over their community and each group within it.
Group Settings
For each community group: change the name and description, update posting instructions, roll the invite code, toggle directory listing, and set who can initiate video meetings.
Community Stats
View basic stats for your community and each group from the management pages — member counts, activity, and subscription usage.
Suspend a Community
Temporarily suspend your community channel from the management page. This prevents all access — current members will not see content and new members cannot join.
Upgrade or Downgrade
Adjust your subscription at any time. A prorated price may be calculated when changing your subscription mid-cycle.
Cancel or Restore
Cancel at any time — your community remains active through the end of the current billing period. Restore before expiration. After expiry, the community is archived and the URL is reserved.
Landing Page & Branding
Configure a public or private landing page with your organization's banner image and logo. Highlight upcoming events and curate a library of featured discussions.
Guidance
Best Practices
Building active participation
Welcome New Members Personally
A personal welcome from a pastor or community leader sets the tone for genuine connection.
Maintain Regular Communication
Consistent posts — announcements, devotions, discussion prompts — keep the community active and engaged.
Encourage Member Involvement
Invite members to post prayers, create discussion threads, and share resources from the community library.
Community health
Monitor Discussions Regularly
Use your moderation privileges to keep discussions on topic, respectful, and aligned with the confessional character of the network.
Address Concerns Promptly
Respond to member questions and reported issues in a timely manner to maintain trust within the community.
Keep Content Organized
Use the group channel structure intentionally — different channels for different purposes makes it easy for members to find what they need.